Afsarwala tomb

2021-03-12T06:57:30Z

2409:4070:2502:52FC:919E:D522:47B8:14A0:

{{short description|Tomb and mosque in Delhi, India}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Afsarwala tomb complex
| native_name =
| native_language =
| image = File:Afsahwallakimasjid.jpg
| caption = Afsarwala Tomb
| designation1 = WHS
| designation1_date = 1993 <small>(17th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])</small>
| designation1_partof = [[Humayun's Tomb]]
| designation1_number =
| designation1_criteria = (ii), (iv)
| designation1_type = Cultural
| designation1_free1name = Region
| designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|India]]
| location = [[Humayun's Tomb]], [[Delhi]], India
| built =
| rebuilt =
| architect =
| coordinates = 
| locmapin = 
}}

The '''Afsarwala tomb''' complex consists of a tomb and mosque,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sahih al-Bukhari 437 - Prayers (Salat) - كتاب الصلاة - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)|url=https://sunnah.com/bukhari:437|access-date=2021-03-12|website=sunnah.com}}</ref> located inside the [[Humayun's Tomb]] complex in [[Delhi]], India. The [[mausoleum]] houses the tomb of an unknown person. The tomb, together with other structures, forms the [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] of Humayun's tomb complex.

== Location ==
The Afsarwala tomb is located east of the Arab Serai at the [[Humayun's Tomb]] complex in [[Delhi]], India.{{sfn|Sharma|1974|p=110}} The Afsarwala tomb is located south-east from the mosque.{{sfn|Sharma|1974|p=110–111}}

== Name and dating ==
According to an explanation by the [[Archeological Survey of India]] the name "Afsarwala tomb" could derive from the Persian word ''afsar'' (افسر), which itself derives from the English word ''officer'', making the building an "officer-[[wallah|wala]]'s tomb", a grave for a military commander. A more recent theory points to the Persian tribal name Afsar, noting that several Afsars were employed at the early Mughal court, including one namebearer, who helped [[Humayun]] during his return and recapture of India in 1555.<ref>Subhash Parihar, ''The Afsarwali Masjid and Afsarwala Gumbad at Nizamuddin, Delhi'', Marg, Vol. 49, No. 4, 1998, pp. 78-83.</ref>

One of the graves inside the mausoleum contains the number ''974,'' believed by the Archaeological Survey of India to indicate 974 A.H. (in the [[Islamic calendar]]), indicating that the mausoleum may have been built between 1566 and 1567.{{sfn|Sharma|1974|p=111}}

== Architecture ==
=== Mosque ===
According to archaeological evidence, the mosque was built between 1560 and 1567.{{sfn|Naqvi|2002|p=64}} Located adjacent to the Afsarwala tomb, the mosque is built on the same raised platform as the tomb. The façade contains three arches, with red-painted spandrels, each arch enclosing its own alcove. Staircases to the terrace are located at the extreme two sides of the mosque.{{sfn|Nath|1982|p=234}}

Stucco lines the mosque's interior, with ceiling arches containing medallions. The soffit of the nave is painted stucco. The [[Tholobate|drum]] which sits underneath the dome of the mosque is octagonal on the outside, but square in shape internally.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OAdDAAAAYAAJ |title=Indica |volume=16 |page=205 |author=Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, St. Xavier's College |year=1979}}</ref> Red paint is used to decorate the drum.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archnet.org/sites/2524 |work=[[ArchNet]] |title=Afsarwala Mosque}}</ref>

There is only one dome and ''[[chhatri]]''.{{sfn|Nath|1982|p=234}} [[Ram Nath]] opines that the plan of the mosque is nothing new and the themes are just replicas of previous mosques.{{sfn|Nath|1982|p=234}}

=== Tomb ===
The Afsarwala tomb is built on the raised platform of the mosque.{{sfn|Naqvi|2002|p=65}} The mausoleum is built from grey quartz and lined with red sandstone and marble. A single cruciform chamber with a double dome is located inside the mausoleum. Externally, the mausoleum is octagonal in shape. Each side of the octagon contains an arch with a squared doorway, which opens into the inner chamber. [[Red sandstone]] is used to decorate the spandrels of the arches. The external dome rises from an octagonal drum and is crowned by a red sandstone lotus finial.{{sfn|Naqvi|2002|p=66}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Epitome in front of Tomb of Afsa-rwala, Nizzamudin, India.jpg|The plaque outside the complex
File:Masjid in Tomb of Afsa-rwala (Back side) towads Arab ki Sarai, Nizzamudin, India.jpg|Afsarwala mosque
File:Tomb of Afsar-wala 030.jpg|''[[Mihrab]]'' of the mosque
File:Afsarwala Tomb 027.jpg|Afsarwala masouleum
File:Details of calligraphy on a pendentive, Humayun's Tomb complex.jpg|Calligraphic inscription inside the mausoleum
File:Graves inside the Tomb of Afsa-rwala, Nizzamudin, India.jpg|The grave chamber containing the cenotaphs
File:Afsarwala tomb and mosque, near Humayun's Tomb, 1803 painting.jpg|An 1803 painting of the complex
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{citation|title = Humayun's Tomb and other Adjacent Monuments | last = Naqvi | first = S. A. A. | publisher = [[Archaeological Survey of India]] | date = 2002 | isbn=9788187780083}}
* Parihar, Subhash (1998), ''The Afsarwali Masjid and Afsarwala Gumbad at Nizamuddin, Delhi'', [[Marg (magazine)|Marg]], Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 78-83.
* {{citation| title = History Of Mughal Architecture Vol.1 | last = Nath | first = Ram | authorlink = Ram Nath| isbn=9788170171591 | publisher = Abhinav Publications | date = 1982 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.532498/page/n335}}
* {{citation | title = Delhi and its neighbourhood | last = Sharma | first = Y. D. | date = 1974 | publisher = [[Archaeological Survey of India]] | url = https://archive.org/details/delhiitsneighbou00shar/page/110?q=afsarwala+tomb}}

== External links ==
*[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/232 UNESCO] website

{{Humayun's Tomb complex}}

{{Coord|28|35|33|N|77|14|53|E|type:landmark_scale:1000_region:IN|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afsarwala Tomb Complex}}
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in India]]
[[Category:Islamic architecture]]
[[Category:Sandstone buildings in India]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Delhi]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Delhi]]
[[Category:Mosques in Delhi]]

IndianPedia - User contributions [en]

Afsarwala tomb